Fierce Battle

South First District

Tenth Division Garrison

By the time the pillar of blue flame rose, Wang Tuchuan Yuxuji was already standing on the roof.

The Tenth Division barracks stood in the South First District of Rukongai, one of the places closest to the Seireitei.

The streets here were orderly, and the Reishi concentration was stable. Hollows rarely caused trouble here. Wang Tuchuan had chosen this place for the garrison not because it was peaceful, but because it allowed them to answer the Seireitei's summons as quickly as possible.

He had waited a long time for this day.

After the Quincy extermination order was issued, Wang Tuchuan had led his team beyond the East Eightieth District for a month, killing quite a few Quincy. But he knew that had merely been an appetizer. The real war had not yet begun.

Now, it had begun.

The instant the Holy Soldiers poured out of the shadows, Wang Tuchuan's hand was already on his sword hilt.

"Eyes forward! Owl!"

Shikai.

The blade did not change, but Wang Tuchuan's body did.

His Reiatsu condensed into a thin film that covered his entire body. His muscles tensed, his nerves surged with excitement, and his senses expanded to their limit.

Owl's ability granted him overwhelming burst mobility and enhanced slashing power. In Shikai, his Shunpo speed increased severalfold, and every slash carried an explosive boost of Reiatsu.

He leaped down from the rooftop.

With the first slash, a Holy Soldier's head flew into the air.

With the second, another Holy Soldier's chest was cut open horizontally.

Third slash. Fourth slash. Fifth slash.

Blade light flickered through the Holy Soldiers, so fast that the blade itself could not be seen—only blurred streaks of light and shadow. Wang Tuchuan's Shunpo weaved through the crowd, every step landing precisely in the gaps between the Holy Soldiers, every swing taking a life.

The Tenth Division members followed close behind, drawing their swords, forming ranks, and beginning to clear out the remaining Holy Soldiers.

Wang Tuchuan did not stop.

He carved a bloody path through the Holy Soldiers, slaughtering his way from the eastern end of the South First District to the western end, then from west to east again.

Owl's burst mobility made him a bolt of lightning on the battlefield. The Holy Soldiers' Reishi arrows could not match his speed, and even Vice-Captain-Class Quincy were cut down before they could react.

Then he stopped.

Not because he was tired, but because he sensed two Reiatsu signatures—two utterly different from those of the other Holy Soldiers. Heavier, denser, more oppressive.

Wang Tuchuan raised his head and looked toward their source.

Two men.

The first was huge and rugged-faced, dressed in a gray-white Quincy uniform with a star-cross badge on his chest.

His Reiatsu carried the restless agitation of a beast, like a wolf poised to pounce at any moment.

The second was slender, with a sinister face and closely cropped hair like a soldier's. His Reiatsu was not as flamboyant as the first man's, but it was more dangerous, like gunpowder dust hanging in the air, ready to explode at the slightest spark.

The two stood to his left and right.

"Tenth Division Captain Wang Tuchuan Yuxuji." The first spoke in a low voice, with a trace of amusement. "I'm Erwin Brenner. Schrift: Evil Wolf."

"Dietrich Schmidt."

The second gave a slight nod. "Dust Explosion."

Wang Tuchuan tightened his grip on the hilt without saying a word.

"You're fast," Erwin said. "I saw it. But speed is useless in the face of absolute suppression."

Dietrich did not respond. He merely raised his right hand and lightly snapped his fingers in the air.

Wang Tuchuan's pupils abruptly contracted.

Something was in the air—fine, nearly invisible dust. The instant Dietrich snapped his fingers, it ignited. Reishi dust exploded before Wang Tuchuan, and the shockwave sent him flying, smashing him through a wall behind him and into the rubble.

Wang Tuchuan crawled out from beneath the broken stones, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. His clothes had been blown open, and his chest was scorched black.

Speed really was not enough.

Dietrich's ability created high-density Reishi dust that could be detonated through friction or Reiatsu. The denser the dust, the greater the explosion. He had already scattered it through the air as he approached, and Wang Tuchuan had not noticed at all.

"It's not over yet!" Erwin's voice came from behind him.

Wang Tuchuan spun around sharply. A Reishi Werewolf had already lunged before him.

The wolf was twice Wang Tuchuan's size, its claws and fangs gleaming white.

Wang Tuchuan dodged sideways. The werewolf's claws grazed his shoulder, tearing a gash through his haori and leaving three deep bloody marks on his shoulder.

Erwin stood some distance away, his arms folded and a smile on his lips.

The werewolf shared his vision. No matter where Wang Tuchuan ran, it would catch up to him immediately.

One used dust explosions to seal off space; the other used a werewolf to pursue and attack in tandem.

Under the pincer assault of two Schrift users, the pressure on Wang Tuchuan surged.

He took a deep breath and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"You two are strong," Wang Tuchuan said. "But you made one mistake."

Dietrich raised a brow. "What mistake?"

"You gave me time to use Bankai."

Wang Tuchuan gripped his sword with both hands, his left hand over his right, Reiatsu raging wildly within him.

The surrounding air began to darken. Light seemed to be swallowed by something, rapidly fading from the center of the battlefield.

Darkness spread from beneath his feet, like ink dripping into water and diffusing outward.

Erwin's werewolf stopped, letting out an uneasy growl.

Dietrich frowned.

"Bankai."

Wang Tuchuan's voice echoed through the darkness.

"Mournful Nightwing, Soundless."

Darkness completely engulfed the South First District.

South First District

Ninth Division Garrison

When Entetsu Kumenoi rushed out of the barracks, the Holy Soldiers had already occupied half the street.

A pillar of blue flame rose at the entrance to the garrison. Holy Soldiers poured endlessly from the shadows, while a rain of Reishi arrows blanketed the entire block.

The Ninth Division members were pinned behind the barracks walls, unable to raise their heads. They could only rely on Kidō and limited slashes to fight back.

Entetsu Kumenoi did not take cover.

He walked straight into the arrow rain.

Reishi arrows struck his body and were deflected by his Reiatsu with a clattering sound, like raindrops beating against sheet metal.

He did not draw his sword. He simply walked forward, one step at a time, neither hurried nor slow.

The Holy Soldiers began to panic.

If a Soul Reaper did not dodge an arrow rain, he was either insane or strong enough that he did not need to.

Entetsu Kumenoi stopped five paces before the Holy Soldiers.

He drew his sword. The instant it left its sheath, his Zanpakutō transformed into a blue mace, its surface covered in dark golden graduation markings.

A mace was a blunt weapon without an edge, relying on weight and force to crush enemies.

"Principle of Perfect Equilibrium! Judgment of Balance!"

Shikai.

The blue mace glowed faintly in Entetsu Kumenoi's hand, while the dark golden markings began to flow as if they had come alive.

He raised the mace and smashed it forward.

The first Holy Soldier was struck in the chest.

There was no blood.

No wound.

It was as if an invisible giant hand had crushed him from within. His body retained its intact form, but his organs, bones, and muscles had all been pulverized into pulp.

He remained standing, his eyes still open, but he was already dead.

His body slowly collapsed, like a sack of boneless flesh.

Entetsu Kumenoi's Zanpakutō ability ignored external defenses, striking through the mountain to hit the ox behind it.

No matter how thick the opponent's Reishi armor was, no matter how strong their Reiatsu shield, the force of the mace would pass directly through the surface and act upon the inside.

The clothes remained intact. Everything inside had already shattered.

Entetsu Kumenoi began his slaughter.

One blow, one kill. One blow, one kill. His movements were not fast, but every strike was fatal.

The Holy Soldiers' Reishi bows could not stop it, their Reishi shields could not stop it, and they could not even evade it. Entetsu Kumenoi's mace technique was plain and unadorned, without any flashy moves. He simply smashed, yet every smash connected.

The Ninth Division members charged out from behind the walls and began their counterattack behind their captain.

Entetsu Kumenoi alone tore several holes through the Holy Soldiers' formation. The division members flooded through the gaps, blade light flashing as Holy Soldiers fell in swathes.

Then the cold arrived.

It was not the oppressive sensation of Reiatsu, but genuine cold.

The temperature in the air plummeted. Entetsu Kumenoi's breath turned to white mist, and a thin layer of frost formed over the stone road beneath his feet.

Frida Bergmann.

Her long silver-white hair fluttered in the freezing wind. Her expression was cold, and her blue eyes resembled two blocks of ice.

Wherever she walked, the stone pavement cracked. Ice crystals seeped from the fissures, and the Reishi in the air froze with soft cracking sounds.

Schrift: Frost.

Behind her, another figure emerged from the shadows.

Gerda Schwarz was short and ordinary-looking, appearing like an inconspicuous attendant.

But with every step he took, another translucent giant Reishi shield appeared in the air, surrounding him and Frida like layer upon layer of eggshell.

Schrift: Guard.

"Ninth Division Captain."

Frida spoke, her voice like cracking ice. "Your Shikai has killed quite a few people, but this ends here."

She raised her hand.

Bitter frost spread from beneath her feet, expanding outward with her as its center.

Wherever the frost passed, everything froze—the paving stones, the air, the Reishi, all of it.

The Ninth Division members had no time to retreat. Several of their feet froze in place. They screamed and struggled to break free, but the frost rapidly crawled up their calves, knees, and thighs.

Frida's frost could freeze the flow of Reishi. Those encased in ice would have their Reiatsu suppressed, lose all feeling in their bodies, and eventually freeze to death.

Entetsu Kumenoi lowered his eyes to the frost spreading toward his feet.

He did not retreat.

He raised the mace and smashed it into the ground.

The force of the strike passed through the earth, ignoring the frost's defense and acting directly on the soil beneath Frida's feet. The ground shook, Frida stumbled, and the frost's advance stalled for an instant.

But it was only an instant.

Gerda's giant shield stood before Frida.

It was not that it blocked the mace strike—the mace strike ignored external defenses, and the shield could not block it.

But Gerda's giant shield could absorb physical and Reishi attacks, converting them into spiritual power to replenish itself.

Part of the force from Entetsu Kumenoi's strike was absorbed by the giant shield. Less than half reached the ground beneath Frida's feet, not enough to cause her any real harm.

Frida steadied herself, and the frost continued spreading.

Gerda's giant shields layered over one another, tightly encasing them both.

Entetsu Kumenoi looked at the frost and the giant shields before him, falling silent for a moment.

"You two," he said calmly.

"Are indeed impressive."

Then his hands dropped to his sides, and his Reiatsu began to surge.

Frida's expression changed. She felt Entetsu Kumenoi's Reiatsu rising at an astonishing rate, like a tide surging higher and higher in endless waves.

Gerda's giant shields began to tremble.

The frost stopped advancing.

"Bankai."

Entetsu Kumenoi's voice was not loud, but every word struck Frida and Gerda's chests like a hammer.

"Scales Upholding Good and Evil."

The single blue mace split into twin maces.

The left mace was pure white, and the right mace pitch-black.

Entetsu Kumenoi held one mace in each hand, standing between the frost and the giant shields, his Reiatsu pressing down on the two of them as though it were tangible.

Frida clenched her teeth and drove her frost to its limit. The bitter cold surged toward Entetsu Kumenoi like a tide, attempting to freeze the flow of his Reishi.

The White Mace fell.

The frost was neutralized.

It was not melted, nor was it dispersed. It was "neutralized." The White Mace's ability neutralized the power of external attacks. No matter how cold Frida's frost was, before the White Mace, its temperature was pulled back to zero, its Reishi structure collapsed, and its aggression was completely erased.

Frida's pupils shrank sharply.

Gerda activated his giant shields. Layer upon layer of Reishi barriers stood before them, attempting to buy Frida time.

The Black Mace fell.

The giant shield had been neutralized.

It had not been shattered, nor pierced through. It had been "neutralized." The Black Mace's ability was to neutralize a target's defenses.

No matter how thick Gerda's giant shield was, before the Black Mace, its Reishi structure was dismantled and its defensive power reduced to zero. It became a thin sheet of paper that could be pierced with a single poke.

Entetsu Kumenoi held both maces in his hands and walked toward the two women.

Frida took a step back.

Her frost was ineffective against the White Mace, and Gerda's giant shield was useless against the Black Mace. Two Schrifts before Entetsu Kumenoi's Bankai were like two rusty locks facing a master key.

Entetsu Kumenoi raised both maces.

"What else have you got?"

Frida and Gerda exchanged a glance and saw the same word in each other's eyes.

Run.

West Second District.

Eighth Division base.

Bakuzan Katori stood atop the barracks roof, her naginata held horizontally before her as her gaze swept across the streets below.

Two pillars of blue flame rose within her field of vision.

One was at the edge of West Second District, near Rukongai. The other was closer, less than a hundred meters from the base entrance. Holy Soldiers poured out of the shadows and rushed toward the Eighth Division Barracks like a swarm of white ants.

Katori did not move.

She was waiting, waiting for someone worthy of drawing her blade.

Holy Soldiers were not worth it.

Then she saw her.

A woman stepped out of the pillar of flame, dressed in a Quincy's white uniform. Her long red hair looked like burning fire in the glow.

Her pace was swift and purposeful as she headed straight for the Eighth Division Barracks. Her Reiatsu was blazing and flamboyant, like a moving mass of fire.

Ilsa Florian.

Schrift: Inferno.

Katori leaped down from the roof and landed ten paces in front of Ilsa, the tip of her naginata pointed at the ground.

"Eighth Division Captain, Bakuzan Katori." Her voice was not loud, yet it cut through the chaotic battlefield like a blade.

Ilsa stopped and gave her a once-over, the corner of her lips lifting slightly. "Quincy, Ilsa Florian. I'll be taking your head."

She raised her hand, gathering Reishi in her palm into a Holy Arrow burning with flames.

Katori no longer needed to wait.

"Sweep across the eight lands, Storm King!"

Air currents began to surge along the naginata's shaft—not wind, but Reishi compressed, accelerated, and given direction, forming blades of air. The invisible range of the slashes extended from the naginata's tip, several times farther than the blade itself.

Katori swung her weapon.

Ilsa twisted aside, thinking she was dodging the blade.

The blade did not touch her.

But her left arm flew into the air.

It had not been severed by the blade, but by the air itself. Katori's naginata had never touched her body; the slash had already taken effect two meters ahead of the blade.

Ilsa's pupils contracted sharply. Blood sprayed from her severed arm as she lowered her head to stare at her empty left shoulder, the smile vanishing from her face.

"An invisible slashing range..." She gritted her teeth, gathering flames in her right hand as she tried to counterattack.

Katori's second strike had already arrived.

This time, it was a horizontal slash.

Ilsa bent backward, thinking she had dodged it.

But both her legs were cleanly severed below the knees.

Her body lost its support, and she crashed to the ground. The flames in her palm went out, her Reishi bow scattered into motes of light, and she lay in a pool of blood, staring wide-eyed at Bakuzan Katori. Her lips trembled as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

Katori sheathed her weapon and looked down at her without speaking.

Ilsa Florian was dead.

First exchange. Two strikes.

Katori turned, about to clear out the Holy Soldiers in the other areas, when she stopped.

More Reiatsu appeared.

It was a complete squad formation. Every trace of Reiatsu was well-trained, and their coordination was seamless.

Jost Weiss approached, followed by eight Quincy.

He was not wearing an ordinary Holy Soldier uniform, but a dark combat suit, with a short matchlock gun hanging at his waist.

His Reiatsu was not strong, but his gaze was cold—the composed coldness of a sniper aiming at prey.

"Jost Weiss."

He introduced himself in an even tone. "Schrift—Jaeger."

The eight people behind him said nothing. They merely formed up in silence, their positions precise, each pair maintaining a fixed distance as though measured with a ruler.

Dagger Squad.

Katori looked at them and fell silent for a moment.

"Nine people," she said.

"Nine."

Jost nodded. "Enough to deal with you alone."

Katori did not argue.

The blade of her naginata lowered as Reiatsu surged around her. The clouds overhead turned a strange lead-gray, blotting out the sunlight and plunging West Second District into oppressive gloom.

Jost frowned. He could feel the air currents no longer moving, and the rate at which Reishi spread was rapidly dropping. His matchlock required Reishi as propellant, but the Reishi was becoming sluggish, heavy, and difficult to control.

"Bankai."

Bakuzan Katori's voice echoed through the motionless air.

"Stillness."

The air currents came to a complete stop.

The sky above West Second District was covered in lead-gray clouds. There was no wind. The entire world seemed sealed within a massive piece of amber.

Jost raised his matchlock and pulled the trigger.

The Reishi bullet shot from the barrel, but after flying less than five meters, it lost all momentum. Like a frozen pebble, it fell from the air, hit the ground, rolled twice, and stopped.

The eight Quincy behind him tried to move with Hirenkyaku, but once the air currents had stopped, the air became resistance rather than assistance. Their speed was reduced to less than a third of normal.

Bakuzan Katori swung her naginata.

A hurricane surged from the naginata's shaft. It was not wind, but blades of air compressed to the extreme, several meters wide as they advanced like a wall.

Jost's pupils contracted sharply.

He wanted to dodge, but within Stillness's domain, the air currents were beyond his control. The air was his enemy, not his friend. His body was bound by the stagnant air, moving slowly as though he were running through water.

The air blades rolled over the Dagger Squad.

There was no blood.

There were no screams.

The eight bodies were torn apart by the extremely compressed air. Their Reishi armaments, flesh, and bones were all shredded and mixed together, spreading through the air like a cloud of red mist.

Jost dropped to his knees, his matchlock falling beside his feet. Several tears had been ripped into his combat suit, blood seeping from the wounds.

He raised his head and looked at Bakuzan Katori.

Katori stood before him, the tip of her naginata pressed against his throat.

Jost said nothing.

He looked into Katori's eyes. There was no killing intent in them, no anger, not even the slightest emotion.

It was as natural as a farmer cutting grass in a field.